Summary: I could not resist a challenge that claimed "There's only one Kirk" or words to that effect.
Disclaimer: Paramount, Viacom and others own Star Trek. This is an original story that does not intend to infringe on their copyright. I only wrote it because I had to get in on the argument that full names are not needed in the first line of the story.
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Challenge: Kirk Ordered Another Beer by Syl Francis
Kirk ordered another beer.
"Request denied." The computer's disinterested voice only succeeded in sending him over the edge.
"I *said* another *beer*, dammit!"
The rec room's occupants turned in shock. He didn't give a damn. He was going to have another beer if he had to rearrange every nano-circuit in the replicator's gullet.
"Request denied. Records indicate you are on duty until eighteen hundred hours."
"Listen, you stupid bucket of bolts, if you don't give me another beer in about two seconds, I'm going to melt you down to--"
"George, take it easy. You're not helping Jimmy this way." April's quiet voice broke through Kirk's anger.
Kirk refused to turn to face his Commanding Officer and best friend. He felt his hand forming a fist. He wanted to hit something . . . anything.
"Stay out of it, Bob, or I swear I'll hit you." His ragged voice showed how much his insides were being torn.
"Computer, this is Captain April. Override standard programming. Commander, you wanted another beer?"
"Computer, whiskey . . . double shot."
The replicator complied.
Kirk took his drink and headed toward a corner table. April followed him.
"George, do you want to talk about it?"
Without saying a word, Kirk swallowed his whiskey in one gulp. He looked like he was going throw the glass across the room. April resisted the urge to reach out and place his hand on Kirk's arm.
Kirk ran his hand through his hair. He looked desperately on the verge of tears. Quickly covering his eyes, he took a deep breath and got his chaotic emotions under control.
He'd been called the best security officer in the fleet on numerous occasions. Even had the citations and medals to prove it. And yet, when Jimmy needed him the most, he was light-years away.
"I should be there to protect him. What kind of father am I? Always away from home . . . do you have *any* idea how many birthdays I've missed? Thirteen! . . . I wasn't even there when he was *born*!"
"George, don't do this to yourself. You're a great Dad! Jimmy worships you. And you know as well as I do that he was premature . . . How does Win put it? Jimmy arrived before he was due, and he's been in a hurry to grow up ever since?"
Kirk smiled in spite of himself.
"We're at maximum warp, George. ETA to Tarsus Four is seventy-two hours. I promise that as long as the Enterprise will hold up, we'll keep this speed. When she starts shaking apart, I'll personally find a way to hold her together, even if every man and woman on board has to press up against the bulkheads."
April paused. He looked intensely into Kirk's eyes.
"I want to save my godson as much as you do."
Kirk nodded. A look of pain flickered momentarily in his eyes. Running his fingers absentmindedly around the lip of his empty glass, he began speaking in normal tones.
"Did you know that he took his first step when he was only ten months old . . . and said his first word only two weeks later? Sam! Win and I almost died of jealousy. I was home on leave and I'd been taking Jimmy on my lap trying to get him to repeat after me . . . Da-Da . . . Da-Da. Come on Jimmy-bear, say Da-Da."
"Jimmy-bear?" April asked.
"*You* try calling a preemie James Tiberius! Ti*ber*ius. Jimmy-bear. Get it? But don't call him that, though. He hates it even more than *Jamie* . . . *Jamie* is a *girl's* name, you see. We found *that* out after his first day of pre-school."
Kirk placed his hands on his hips, and mimicked his three-year-old son's outrage. "Don't call me *Jamie*! That's a *girl's* name! My name's Jimmy!"
April laughed at the image. Kirk smiled in reminiscence.
"So, you were telling me about Jimmy's first word," April reminded him. Kirk nodded.
"Win knew what I was doing, and I found out later that she was sneaking Jimmy downstairs after she'd supposedly put him to bed and was trying the same thing . . . say, Ma-Ma . . . Ma-Ma. It became a sort of rivalry between us. Georgie's first word had been po-po, for potato. Mashed potatoes were his first love. Mommy and Daddy were secondary."
"I remember that," April said. "Sarah kept telling Winona that too many starches weren't healthy for a growing boy."
"Yeah, but Georgie wouldn't eat anything else! Po-po, he'd yell, shutting his little mouth, scrunching his face and refusing to eat anything else! Kids . . . they grow up so fast."
They sat pensively for a few minutes. April finally broke the silence.
"So what *did* Jimmy say first? Ma-Ma or Da-Da?"
George laughed. "Neither! One morning, I heard Georgie talking inside the nursery. I stood in the doorway and watched. Georgie's back was to me, so he didn't know I was there."
Kirk paused, his eyes smiling at the treasured memory.
"Come on, Jamie . . . say George Samuel Kirk, junior . . . I know you can say it . . . George Samuel Kirk, Junior."
He shook his head.
"Jimmy would only giggle and wave his arms, kicking his little legs. Georgie just laughed and picked him up. He played with him for the rest of the morning. Anyway, later that day, when we were all in the family room, Jimmy tried walking again. He'd been holding on to the furniture, taking little steps . . . now he got brave and let go."
Kirk laughed.
"Wham! He fell on his baby bottom. With all that padding from his diaper, he wasn't hurt in any way, but it scared him . . . he started crying. You've never seen two grown people make idiots of themselves as quickly as Win and I did."
Holding his arms out, Kirk demonstrated their reactions.
"Win reached out from where she was sitting and called to him . . . Come to Mommy, sweetie . . . I wasn't much better . . . Hey, Jimmy-bear, come to Daddy . . . Georgie walked up to him and just picked him up . . . Jimmy wrapped his arms around Georgie's neck and began crying out, Sam . . . Sam . . . Win and I looked at each other . . . Who the hell is *Sam*? . . . Apparently, George Samuel Kirk, Junior had just been renamed *Sam* by his baby brother."
Kirk rested his chin on his fist. "Talk about being shown your place on the pecking order." He had a chagrinned look on his face.
"Anyway, Jimmy's always been like that . . . born premature . . . walking and talking before most kids . . . kindergarten at four . . . skipped several grades . . . Science Camp recipient at fourteen. I don't know where he gets it . . . must be from Win . . . I'm sure no genius."
April snorted.
"Don't give me that! You graduated in the top five percent of your class. You turned down Command School three times, until Starfleet finally decided to leave you alone. You're qualified to run most of the bridge stations on this ship, and I'd make you my First Officer in a heartbeat if you'd accept the position."
Kirk looked embarrassed.
"Jimmy takes after you in more ways than you'll openly admit. You've taught him how to defend himself, and more importantly how to stay cool and think on his feet. That boy's mind is as sharp as they come, and you've trained him to use it."
April paused.
"I said earlier that Jimmy worships you. It's the truth and you know it. That boy is going to do everything in his power to survive, because that's what you'd expect . . . and he's not about to let you down . . . and I give you my word, George, I won't let you down, either. I'll get you to Tarsus Four, and I promise, I'll get you there on time."
Kirk nodded.
"Thanks, Bob. If anything happens to that boy, Win will never forgive me . . . I'll never forgive myself."
"We'll make it, George. You've got to have faith that we'll make it. Jimmy's counting on us, and we won't let him down."
April paused. His voice took on his Commanding Officer's timber.
"So, Commander Kirk, have you devised the security plan I requested? I seem to remember a suggestion that we simultaneously beam numerous security teams to predetermined coordinates?"
Kirk nodded at his Commanding Officer and got down to business.
The End ####